What is an Urgent Appeal?

published
26-05-2014 15:05,
last modified
07-01-2015 13:54

An urgent appeal is a rapid response to a request for support from workers in the garment industry whose rights are being infringed. Since the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) was launched twenty-five years ago, Clean Clothes activists have supported garment and sportswear workers in about 450 cases in 40 different countries where their rights were violated.

A factory in Bangladesh

Larger-scale effects

Many of the urgent appeal cases that have been successes for workers locally have also set precedents that have a significant spill-over effect towards improvements on a larger scale: victories gave inspiration to workers facing similar issues in other workplaces.

Urgent appeals pressure companies, such as fashion brands and governments to take positive action and end labour rights violations. Our activities include:

launching global petitions, social media campaigns and street actions

writing letters of solidarity to workers and their organisations

lobbying with brands and governments

awareness-raising events such as speaker tours, press conferences and public events to draw attention to cases of rights violations

Triangle solidarity

The CCC works with other organisations to simultaneously put pressure on all those responsible for improving workplace conditions.

This often results in a “triangle solidarity” strategy for action: campaigning in the producing country where violations occur, in as many countries as possible where the clothing is sold, and also in the home country of the factory owner.